Article published in Dec 12/Jan 13 edition of GQ Australia on "taking Control of Your Online Image"

1. THE AMBITIOUS MAN’S HANDBOOK ON CAREER DEVELOPMENT, FINANCE, SELF-IMPROVEMENT AND BUSINESS.
GQINC VIRTUAL CLEANSE
TAKECONTROL
OFYOUR
ONLINEIMAGE
WORRIED ABOUT SKELETONS IN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CLOSET?
HERE’S HOW TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY CLEAR-OUT AND
KEEP A GOOD REPUTATION. Few words could be more chilling in
the professional world than “we’ve
googled you”. The reality is, though,
they have. Your prospective employers.
Your current employers. Your
colleagues. Possibly even your clients.
That’s why it’s time to extend your
grooming from the mirror to the
search engine. Yes, this is a licence to
google yourself, but not to ego-surf
— rather to assess what needs to be
deleted and ‘online manscaped’ to
make you look your best.
Sydney business and executive coach
Peter Black says the reputation game
has radically changed. “Just because
you’ve got a shiny degree from a well-
known institution doesn’t mean
you’ll get a job or seal a deal,” he says.
“People are checking out your online
brand every time you do business with
them, especially if they don’t know you.
EDITED BY ANDREW MCUTCHEN GQ.COM.AU DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 121
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2. GQ INC. > VIRTUAL CLE ANSE
You can be guaranteed people have a perception says Black. “You can undo
asolid professional reputation
of you before they even talk to you.”
byshowing conflicting
But don’t forget that the new playing field identities online.”
has an upside. “You just have to actively
manage your profile,” says Black. “Think of 6. DEFEND YOUR
yourself as a one-person business even if
you’re an employee. Adopt an entrepreneurial
GOOD NAME
For those hard-to-get-out
mindset and have your own strategy and search-engine stains like
personal brand that you put out there. It’s got bankruptcy filings, troll
attacksand really bad photos,
to be consistent and aligned and that means
SHARPEN YOUR FOCUS
there is always US business
divorcing a lot of personal search results from Reputation.com, which offersto
your professional persona. Getting to know “promote accurate information”
privacy settings is not just a good idea, it’s
essential for the modern man.” As are the
and “bury misleading materials”
for a yearly fee of a few
thousand dollars.
THROUGH MEDITATION
following online cleansing essentials:
Research shows that meditation delivers creativity, focus and
7. DON’T BE stress relief. Use these techniques from Sharon Salzberg, author of
1. THINK LIKE A 3. DECIDE ON INVISIBLE Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation ($25, Hay House UK Ltd).
SEARCH ENGINE YOUR APPROACH In times of increasing
transparency, Black believes
BEFORE WORK permission to settle on one thing
Come up with the words and “Ask yourself if you’re going Duration: five to 15 minutes instead of flitting between the
combinations of words that tomanage what’s already it’s “perilous” to withdraw from
(depending on how late 23 buzzing items on your to-do
people would most likely use there, or if you’re going to having an internet presence.
you’re running). list. You’ll finish even a boring
to search you, including your takea proactive, contributing “It’s as concerning not being
task feeling less scattered,
workplaces and schools. Next approach. I recommend able to find someone online as
Sit on a pillow or lie on your more energetic and fulfilled.
it’s a case of “sanitising” the gettingon the front foot it is tofind negative material
about them. I had a very senior back. Take four deep breaths,
results by judiciously deleting because the appearance
lawyer tell me he’s ‘not into that feeling the air enter your nostrils, RIGHT BEFORE BED
where possible, says Black. ofcurrency says to people
Facebook stuff’. Social media is fill up your chest and exit your Duration: 10 to 15 minutes.
Start with the obvious that thatyou’re very much in
one of the new major corporate body. Then, breathing normally,
could be detrimental to your the game.Then you’ll need
brand, noting that if others abasicmessaging and risks. With an attitude like that pay attention to where you feel Sit comfortably or lie down.
have commented you may not marketing plan that ensures he’s sending out the message the swooshing air the most — Bring your attention to the top of
totally eliminate all traces. But you stay on point.” that he’s not relevant.” nostrils, chest, abdomen. Put your head and notice what
remember there’s a lot more out your focus on that area, noting sensations are there — tingling,
4. GET FRESH 8. DON’T PANIC the sensations there — vibration, say, or itching or aching.
W O R D S A N D R E A B A R T Z M A I N P H OTO G R A P H Y J O H N M A N N O, B R I A N F I N K E .
there than Google indexes, so
enter “search for dark web” warmth, whatever. (Silently (Maybe you notice an absence of
“Google’s search algorithms “There are going to be search
to access ways to look deeper results you may not like that repeating “inhale… exhale…” can sensation, which is fine too.) Very
into your digital footprints. are looking for fresh content. stop your attention wandering.) slowly, slide your attention down
It’s not enough to have you can’t do anything about.
This isn’t always a bad thing. the front of your face, scanning
2. BUILD IT INTO
something that’s five years
It’s been proven that people When other thoughts crop up, for things like tightness or
old. You need as much fresh
as they inevitably will, don’t throw pressure in your forehead, eyes,
YOUR GROOMING material as possible if you
want to appear on that first
actually prefer to take
abalanced view of things. in the towel or beat yourself up nose, mouth, and cheeks.
REGIME page of results. Also, if you
have something you want to
It’s notalways ideal to have
asqueaky clean image online.
for slipping. Just think of them as
clouds in the sky and let them Return your attention to the
Black encourages all men to
push further down the search There’s the humanity element float by. The act of simply coming top of your head, then move
think of online maintenance
engine rankings, the best way where those assessing our back to your breath — that’s what down the back of the head, over
as part of their morning
to do that is by putting reputation know that we all meditation’s all about. the curve of your skull. Is your
routine. “You get up and you
current content out there. have lives outside of work.” neck tight or sore? You aren’t
shave and you shower. It’s just
as important to be pruning Hootsuite.com is a great BEFORE A MUST-NAIL trying to do anything about the
and maintaining your online wayto schedule your tweets, MEETING feelings, simply notice them.
image. If you don’t have the blogs and statuses so that Duration: one minute.
time, pay someone — get a there’s a constant stream of Continue slowly inching over
virtual assistant to do it for information to keep you The more times you can your neck, chest, and abs, then
you. You can source these current and contemporary.” pack this into a day, the better. back up to the neck and down
through LinkedIn in advanced Do one simple thing. Maybe you the back. Finish by sensing
search and nominate which city
you’d prefer them to be in.
5. BE CONSISTENT finish your coffee and rinse out
the mug. Really concentrate on
your pelvis, legs, and feet.
Concentrate on your heels
“I have the same picture on
Costs vary but they can be my LinkedIn account as I do on the sensations of what you’re against the floor or mattress.
$50 or $60 an hour which is myTwitter account and that’s doing and give your mind Lose yourself.
good value if you’re out there to reinforce a personal brand,”
earning a lot more than that.”
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